Navigating Through Time art festival at UNESCO World Heritage Site

The festival is bringing together heritage and community-led activities from Froncysyllte, Trevor, Chirk and Cefn Mawr in a lively programme of local history trails, storytelling, performance and hands-on activities for all ages. From the renowned Fron Male Voice Choir to floating markets and creative learning workshops, the event promises to share the lesser-known heritage of the famous UNESCO 11-mile Pontcysllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site from the people who helped shape it, and those that call it home.

This wider project the event is part of has brought together many contributors whose hard work has shaped an event full of creativity and community spirit. Fascinating local histories that are often overlooked will be celebrated across the weekend, offering a wonderful opportunity for children and adults alike to learn, take part and be inspired. Don’t miss the chance to see performances, exhibitions and stories carefully curated and brought into the very spaces where history was made, allowing visitors to experience the past and present side by side. Best of all, every activity is free to enjoy.

The programme

The programme begins on Friday 26 September with a parade for schoolchildren at Trevor Basin, featuring 150 pupils from six local schools. Each child has created a sign with a message for the future of the World Heritage Site, following a month of workshops exploring heritage and the environment. While the 26th September event is exclusively for local school children, their creations will be used to form a special display for all visitors to enjoy once the festival opens to the public on Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday, Trevor Basin will be filled with activity. The world-renowned Fron Male Voice Choir will perform on the canal side, while visitors can follow a heritage trail along the towpath with stories curated by the local community. A floating market, art installations and a festival field will create a lively atmosphere with free family activities. Highlights include a LEGO workshop where families can build a miniature version of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, storytellers for all age groups and outdoor practical skills sessions with ethnobotanist Pridie Tiernan through storytelling that brings the landscape and nature to life. Time spent with Pridie will rekindle your relationship with the natural world and empower you to feel at one with the wild!

The celebrations continue in Froncysyllte where the Community Centre will be the meeting point for a guided heritage walk, a warm welcome from Cakes & Co pop-up café and host for an exhibition of illustrations and paintings by artist Hannah Forde. Chirk will also be buzzing with activity on Saturday, with a major heritage exhibition at Chirk Parish Hall showcasing archives, collections and a lifetime of photography by Martin Brown. Visitors can explore Chirk Museum, pick up a new self-guided map created by historians Graham Greasley and Deryn Poppitt, and meet artist TanOren as she invites the public to add to her evolving artwork Quirky Chirky, a social sculpture and hand-painted collage of the town’s iconic landmarks.

On Sunday, the spotlight is on Cefn Mawr, where creativity and heritage combine across the village. Families can join a clay workshop with Charlie Hathaway, watch live demonstrations from internationally renowned wood sculptor Simon O’Rourke, and see a brand-new heritage mural unveiled by artist Carol Davies. Visitors can also take part in charcoal sketching with Karl Jones, enjoy storytelling from Fiona Collins, try circus skills, listen to live music and explore exhibitions and heritage trails that bring the village’s history to life.

The festival has been developed with the support of the Navigating Through Time Community Advisory Group, whose members include Keith Sinclair, TanOren, Carol Davies, Graham Greasley, Sonia Benbow-Jones, Sue Kempster and Julie Williams.

Claire Farrell, project director at Glandŵr Cymru, said: “The event is a culmination of the last couple of years exploration of the individual and connected historical, social and cultural identities of these World Heritage Site villages and towns with community members and local historians. This area is so unique in comparison to the rest of the UK waterways because the canal is an integral part of these communities that are in such close proximity - both historically through the industrial heritage of the area, and in daily life as a much valued blue and green space that runs directly through the heart of these communities. This weekend is their celebration, their stories and their creativity, shared with visitors from near and far.”

Sue Kempster, chair of Llangollen Rural Community, and Heritage and Conservation member for the Glandŵr Cymru wider project said: “It’s great to see the Canal & River Trust injecting so much interest in the communities around the Pontcysyllte World Heritage Site. The industrial past and personal history are especially important as this was the backbone of the decision to bring the canal here and should not be lost through time. This project builds on the foundations created by Wrexham council at the beginning of the journey to world heritage status.

“The involvement of local schools in the project is fantastic as we can all learn from the children in terms of their vision for the future.”

The event is delivered by Glandŵr Cymru, the Canal & River Trust in Wales, and supported by Wrexham County Borough Council through the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.